Basic Satellite Strategy

  Satellite tournaments are so named because they orbit around the planet called the World Series of Poker. In the real world, satellites send down everything from cell phone signals to television shows to Earth. Satellite tournaments arent that diverse. Instead of bouncing reruns of Sex and the City to the WSOP they send poker players. Winning these tournaments is how most people get to the WSOP.  Satellite tournaments generally come in three types:1. A winner-take all satellite. This is an all out battle royal where only the last player standing will get a place in the WSOP.2. A Low Buy-In Satellite. Though these types of tournaments deliver more then one person, they are still high pressure, completive situations. Typically this sort of tournament will send one player for every eighty who compete to the WSOP. Because your odds of going to the WSOP from one of these tournaments are only slightly better than winning the lottery, the buy-in is traditionally low.3. A High Buy-In Satellite. The chances of a player making their way to the WSOP are much better in this sort of tournament than any other. Generally one person for every twenty who compete will make it to the big league. It may be easier to reach the goal from here, but it isnt cheap. This sort of satellite tournament comes with a high buy-in. The price tag for this tournament will scare off many amateurs. This ensures the integrity of the competitive level.Winner-Take-All Satellites  There is one goal in a winner take all satellite tournament. That goal is to be the winner and take everything. At the end of the day, to win your place at the WSOP, all the chips have to be in a neat stack in front of you while your competitors are borrowing cab fare from the hotel valet.  Most players preferred, and unspoken, strategy is to pray to whoever they call God that all the competition somehow perishes in a horrible bus accident. This is unlikely, so some real strategy will probably be needed.  Newbies often play too conservatively, hoping to hold on while the other competitors eliminate each other. This is usually a good way to make the painful transition from player to spectator. There is a high degree of luck involved in this sort of tournament. Luck becomes the great equalizer and gives a distinct edge to the less experienced player. Aggression is often rewarded in a Winner Take All tournament.Low Buy-in Satellites  In the case of the Low Buy-In Satellite, placing is as good as a win. A field of eight hundred players will yield possibly ten WSOP spots. They goal is to be in that top 10. For this tournament it is all about well stacked you are.  For a change, references to being well stacked have nothing to do with Pamela Anderson. The stack in question refers to the chips sitting in front of you. A player who manages to keep a medium size stack of chips will become a stealth player, and disappear off the radar. Pacing is the key. Much like a runner, you simply want to pace with the field then kick toward the end.  Everyone is aware of the big stacks, and tend to avoid challenging them. Those who have very small stacks tend to become targets. Contrary to what many men keep telling themselves, size does matter. Someone with a small stack can be more easily eliminated. This is an irresistible draw for the rest of the field.  If you happen to find yourself on the short end of the stack, play bold and aggressive. You will either scare off other players who might see you as too much trouble to challenge, increase the size of your stack and take the target off your head, or go out in a blaze of glory. High Buy-in Satellites  The same basic strategy for a Low Buy-In tournament will serve a player well in this contest as well. The difference is that the goal posts have been moved. In a field of eight hundred contestants, a player is no longer shooting for the top ten. Instead they are trying to get into the top forty. This is a much easier goal.  Try to keep an average to above average stack. Patience will be key. Dont give away chips during ill advised kamikaze attacks. Pick your spots and steal what blinds you can before the end game of the tournament begins. If you have established an above average stack before the large blinds and antes kick in, your chances of reaching the WSOP are much better.